A SURVEY of staff working at hospitals in Worcestershire has found confidence in the quality of care given to patients, as well as motivation and job satisfaction, is higher than the national average.

The report presented to a meeting of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust board on Wednesday, March 26 found 26 per cent were satisfied with the quality of care given to patients – compared with a national average of 43 per cent – and 42 per cent looked forward to going to work, compared with 36 per cent nationally.

But, speaking at the meeting at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital, associate non-director Julian Bion said he felt “a profound feeling of irritation” over some of the responses to the survey.

“We should be proud of working for the health service and we should like coming to work,” he said.

“I would take someone by the lapels and shake them and tell them how lucky they are to work for the health service.

“We work indoors and we get good salaries. Some of us get very good salaries indeed.”

Calling it “a very provocative report”, Professor Dion added he felt more could be done to improve the figures.

“There is plenty of food for thought,” he said.

“The NHS and the whole of the country is demoralised.

“Worcestershire is no different in that respect.”

The survey was sent to a sample of 850 staff between September and December last year and was responded to by 42 per cent of people – a decrease of two per cent from last year and below the national average of 48 per cent.

Other results of the survey showed 60 per cent believed the trust acted on concerns raised by patients and carers compared with a national average of 51 per cent and 48 per cent would recommend the county’s hospitals to a friend or family member, slightly higher than the national figure of 42 per cent.

Board members agreed to set up measures to increase the figures but non-executive director Lynne Todd said she was interested in comparing them with trusts achieving the highest results.

Chief operating officer Stewart Messer said the results of the survey could at least be partially attributed to uncertainty around the future of hospital services in the county.

“It’s quite encouraging that we are going through a period of significant chance but the results are still quite positive,” he said.

The board agreed to hold discussions and focus groups with staff to determine what could be done to increase the figures.